Contents

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant
postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding
week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as
they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of
significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors,
whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a
kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some
of the most significant postings.
The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles
posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original
articles, and many have a URL to get more informtion. You may be able to
find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles
in the newsgroup before expiring them.
Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available, just email me
at rkeller@voicenet.com
It is archived at:
http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
http://user1.i1.net/~mallen/scn/arswr/ars-summary.html
http://users.aimnet.com/~jdiver/scieno.htm
http://www.thur.de/religio/publik/arsfaq.html
#####

Lars Westergren posted a transcript of a show on Scientology from BBC
World.

"Buildings like this aren't cheap. Scientology founds itself by a doctrine
of exchange. Members can pay thousands of dollars to complete all their
courses, in payments that are called donations, but are in fact
obligatory.

"Few churches prompt more antagonism than this one. A Greek judge has
called scientology dangerous. The German government says that its
financial demands can read to ruin and even suicide. But here in America,
critics are more concerned with the Church of Scientology's relentless
bid, for public recognition.

"David Rodier is a professor of religion at American University.

"'They feel if you attack they attack in kind, and perhaps even more
violently. And I think many people find this very threatening. New
religions are by their very nature strange and odd, and we feel
uncomfortable around them. And then when they, in addition to that, don't
behave according to our stereotypes the way religions should behave, then
we _do_ get very uncomfortable.'

"Sylvia Stanard: 'The church has dealt with criticism, because we feel
that people need to know what scientology is. And its also just -
sociologically it is a very interesting phenomena that all new religions
go through this. I mean, we've researched and gone through what they said
about the Catholics in the 1700s, and all sorts of _wild_ accusations. I
mean, the Mormons were killed. And that was a hundred years ago.'"

The new Cult Awareness Network, now run by Scientology, issued a press
release on the Higher Source cult, which committed suicide recently.

"Information gathered by CAN indicates that the originators of the 'Higher
Source' group were Marshall Herff Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Trousdale
Nettles respectively a psychiatric patient and a psychiatric nurse. CAN
is urging investigation into the presence of drugs at the Rancho Sante Fe
mansion of the Higher Source and the psychiatric backgrounds of the group.
Of interest is that psychiatric drugs were also found in large quantities
at Jonestown and drugs were manufactured by and administered to members of
the Japanese-based Aum Supreme Truth.

"CAN is continuing its own investigation into the background of the
leaders of the group and will keep the media informed. In the meantime,
CAN warns that the mass media beware of fanatical anti-religious
statements being made, painting all religions or groups with the same
brush stroke and creating further hysteria.

"Experts who are well schooled in religion and sociology must be relied on
for statements and comments.
Dr. George Robertson:
Chairman of the Cult Awareness Network
Vice President Maryland Bible College
(410)488-2606

"Dr. J. Gordon Melton:
Executive Director
Institute for the Study of American Religions
University of California, Santa Barbara
(805)961-0141"

Diane Richardson provided some background on George Robertson.

"Robertson was 'honored' by the 'Church' of Scientology[tm] with the 1993
Freedom Human Rights Leadership award, for, as the press release
announcing the award states: 'Dr. George Robertson, Baptist minister,
professor at Maryland Bible College and Seminary in Baltimore, and
executive vice president of Friends of Freedom, for his accomplishments in
promoting religious freedom tolerance and working against the violent act
of 'deprogramming' and other religious hate crimes.'"

"Here's a round of applause to the Church of Scientology for their
courageous action against the Cult Awareness Network. From our point of
view, no group was as 'off' in their judgment of others as was CAN. No
group was as out of place in their condemnation of the innocent as was
CAN.

"They accused our group of 'cult activities' promoting all sort of lies
about us. When we asked to speak with them to correct some of their false
accusations, they refused to listen. Their only desire was to see our
financial records and ironically, we really have no finances to speak of
at all. They exerted no effort to determine the facts even when those who
could most accurately provide those facts were literally at their
doorstep.

"We hope you will continue to advertise on behalf of freedom of thinking
for all. History proves that nearly every conceptual milestone now
considered 'good' was at one time considered a 'cult.' In the
early/inception stages of any significantly updated thinking, it seems
that some embodiment of narrow- minded opposition takes it upon themselves
to threaten its right to exist.

"So thanks again from all of us determined to continue the search for
Truth through alternate paths. And thanks from those who support the right
of others to do so as well.

German ARD television aired a show on Scientology, based on their visit to
Los Angeles in February. Michail Brzitwa, Katinka van der Linden and Lars
Baehren provided summaries and partial transcripts.

"A horribly terrified Garry Scarff, pictures of RPFed people, mention of
mysterious deaths in Fort Harrison during the eighties, interviews with
the Clearwater police about Lisa McPherson, a short interview with Berry,
a crowd of scientology cars chasing the German TV crew on a highway,
bodyguards for both Scarff and the crew, a faked car accident, Scarff
having a nervous breakdown, Abelson talking BS and corrected by Rinder,
Rinder admitting Lisa died in Fort Harrison and not in hospital."

"There was also a section about a German Scientologist who died in the
Ford Harrison. He was an epileptic, and was refused medication and instead
given vitamins and minerals. The doctor was a Scientologist, refused to
give an interview but stated on paper that at that time he firmly thought
that the Scientology treatment would be better for the patient."

"Featuring Ex-Scientologists Gerry Scarff and Martin Ottman reporters
tried to chase evidence for Gulag-like camps run by the cult. Ottman talk
about his observations about RPF: members have to wear black clothes (the
were various camera pictures of cult member running around hastily);
minimum of 16 hours work per day; minimum of 5 hour case study of own
failures.

"Background of Gerry Scarff and his deposition: he left OSA because of
orders to kill a critic by cutting the wires for the breaks of the car,
otherwise suffocate with a cushion later on; if police started
investigation on him than better do TKO (Total Knock Out) - shooting
himself in the head; attempt to kidnap him, probably to be taken to
Helmet in Hot Springs.

"Clearwater police reported of more mysterious deaths in and around Fort
Harrison Hotel. In the case of a corpse found in a nearby river
Scientology gave a wrong name to officers, even before the the discovery.
The person later turned out to be a Scientologist from Stuttgart."

Grady Ward was allowed to view many of the documents ordered by Judge
Infante this week, but not all, as he explained to the court.

"After review of the responses, the following lists materials were
withheld in contempt of the Magistrate's orders: 'RTC is ordered to
supplement its answer to provide responsive information describing the
general organizational structure of RTC, and the general organizational
structure of any organization involved in the safekeeping of Advanced
Technology material.'

"[T]he plaintiff has withheld all details of the second part of the
question. The plaintiff had repeatedly averred under oath that only seven
organizations have custody and safekeeping of components of the Advanced
Technology. However, during my review of the documents designated by the
plaintiff as confidential the defendant in reviewing the OT MATERIALS
MASTER LOG on March 28, 1997 the following locations were disclosed as
having custody of portions or all of the Advanced Technology at issue in
this litigation. (Only coded designations were provided to me during my
review of the confidential documents. Warren McShane insisted that all
questions concerning the meaning of the coded abbreviations be deferred
until he was in deposition, which he has to this date refused to attend.)

"The plaintiff has also failed to 'produce all responsive confidentiality
agreements within its possession, custody or control, executed by any
party (not just the churches of scientology and its parishioners).' The
plaintiff responded by providing two blank confidentiality documents.

"The plaintiff has next not obeyed the Order, paragraph 6 with respect to
Document Request number 6 ('6. All documents that refer, reflect, or
relate to Grady Ward from Jan. 15, 1995 onwards.') The plaintiff has only
provided both confidential and non-confidential documents that it alleges
are Grady Ward's postings to the Internet."

Maggie Council posted a report on Scientology, the Florida Indian Movement
and the Nation of Islam.

"I just had the head of Florida AIM [American Indian Movement] in my
office; he told me that he was recently speaking at an event where a
leader of the Nation of Islam was speaking. Church of Scientology members
from Flag were at his side on the podium, and he spoke about the Way to
Happiness Literacy campaign. The Native leader told me that he asked them
who they were, and they said they were from Fort Harrison in Clearwater.
'Oh, you're scientologists?' he asked. They reluctantly admitted it.

"Outside the AIM office in St. Petersburg, FL, the personality test is
being distributed regularly. The leader told me that once they called the
cops to find out who the hell these people were.

"I took the opportunity to inform him about Narconon Chilocco, and how
Russell Means [Indian activist] was being used to legitimize this program.
I also told him how Scn hadn't paid rent, and the locals had given the
land on which the Narconon facility is based *back to the BIA* because
they could never get them to pay rent. Giving land back to the BIA is not
a common problem solution among Native Americans."

Keith Henson filed a challenge to the RTC this week that the NOTS are
actually owned by the bankrupt Church of Scientology of California. RTC's
standing as the plaintiff in Keith's case may be affected. The argument
stems from the status of David Mayo, author of the NOTS levels, as an
employee of CSC at the time.

"Defendant is also aware that Plaintiff in a related case stated in a
sworn answer to an interrogatory served on Ward at 8:15-17 that Mayo's
contribution was as a work-for-hire.

"Defendant has search the Verified Complaint in this case for transfer
documents from either David Mayo or CSC [Church of Scientology of
California], author or co-author of NOTs under the work-for-hire doctrine
to L. Ron Hubbard or RTC and found not even a mention of the former
parties. Defendant's understanding of the law is very limited, but
believes that 'verified' in law means that the plaintiff swore under
penalty of perjury that the statements on the complaint were true.

"The copyright assignment supplied as disclosures for NED FOR OTS SERIES
TXu 257 326 dated November 10, 1986 states that 'L. Ron Hubbard was the
author of and owned all rights title and interest in a body of works, both
published and unpublished' without mention of either David Mayo or CSC.
The OT series was registered as a compilation, and while sole authorship
by Hubbard of the individual sections, such as NOTs 34 might be determined
by the trier of fact (assuming David Mayo can be located), this settled
ruling, with no transfer agreement entered, seem to be in direct conflict
with the copyright certificate of the compilation and the verified
complaint.

"For the forgoing reasons, defendant prays the Court enter an order of
summary judgment on copyright claims against the plaintiff due to
plaintiff bringing an action in bad faith, plaintiff knowing that title to
the NOTs material was quite possibly not even the property of RTC by
reason of a long settled court order."

Keith also posted a letter to Scientology lawyer Tom Hogan, in which he
admits being too late in requesting some depositions.

"Your deposition notice of David Elrod is therefore
untimely. Please refer to Local Rule 26-5 which expressly provides
that the 'discovery cut-off date is the date by which . . . all
depositions shall be concluded.'

"I had mixed the times for the Ward case with mine, so you are correct and
you may consider the Elrod deposition request withdrawn. However, you
should consider this as notice that, should this come to trial, I expect
to put Mr. Elrod on the stand and ask him to explain why and how at two
different times in October of 1995 much of Scientology's 'AT' material was
on a Scientology approved computer site where all the world was invited to
copy it (and I did).

"Second, the time for filing dispositive motions, which would
include your Counter Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and your
Declaration in support of that motion, has likewise passed. The court
ordered that the last date for hearing of all dispositive motions was
April 11, 1997. A copy of the pages of transcript from the hearing
where that order was made is also enclosed. As there is a 35-day
notice requirement, summary judgment motions had to be filed by March 7.

"In this case, I will request at the hearing that the Court consider the
material April 11 in the interest of judicial economy. If the Court will
not, I will withdraw the material and resubmit it."

Dennis Erlich has won the right to depose Scientology head David Miscavige
in his copyright infringement case for 6 hours, with Keith Henson and
Grady Ward each receiving 1.5 hours. From Judge Infante's ruling:

"Defendant Erlich has presented evidence that reasonably suggests that Mr.
Miscavige may have unique percipient knowledge relevant to this case.
Specifically, Erlich presents evidence raising some question as to the
authenticity of L. Ron Hubbard's signature on the May 16, 1982 Assignment
Agreement, by which L. Ron Hubbard purportedly assigned his 'entire right,
tide and interest in and to the Advanced Technology' to RTC. Mr. Hubbard's
signature purportedly was notarized by Mr. Miscavige. Erlich presents
evidence in the form of a copy of a declaration from a former Scientology
member, Diana Voegeding, that during the early 1980s, Mr. Miscavige
routinely obtained signatures in his notary book from Mr. Hubbard for
later use, and that Mr. Miscavige often did not actually witness Mr.
Hubbard's signature on documents. In addition, Erlich submits a document
which his attorneys state, on information and belief, is a copy of a
handwriting analysis questioning the authenticity of Hubbard's signature
on the May 1982 Assignment. In addition, Erlich points to objective
discrepancies in the dates of documents that give rise to some
questionable inferences: (1) the notarial acknowledgment states that
Hubbard signed the Assignment on May 10, 1982, but the Assignment is dated
six days later; (2) an Addendum to the Assignment pre-dates the Assignment
by 5 months; and (3) another document purporting to convey rights
regarding the Advanced Technology works from RTC to other entities is
dated January 1, 1982, approximately 3 months before the Assignment.

"In addition, the fact that Mr. Miscavige, from the beginning of 1982 to
early 1987, held senior positions at Author Services, Inc., the
organization responsible for managing Mr. Hubbard's literary and business
affairs, further suggests that Mr. Miscavige may have knowledge regarding
Mr. Hubbard's literary affairs which Mr. McShane, the present President of
RTC, may not possess.

"Therefore, for the foregoing reasons, the court finds that Defendant
Erlich has shown good cause to depose Mr. Miscavige. In addition, given
the overlap of both factual and legal issues among the instant case, RTC
v. Ward and RTC v. Henson, the court finds that good cause also exists to
permit the deposition of Mr. Miscavige in the latter two cases as well."

The Tampa Tribune published an article this week on the history of
Scientology's Medical Officer at Flag, Janis Johnson.

"A woman who helped transport Scientologist Lisa McPherson to the hospital
was a former Arizona physician whose license expired as the state's
medical board was scrutinizing her. On Dec. 5, 1995, fellow
Scientologists - including former physician Janis K. Johnson-Fitzgerald -
took McPherson by van to HCA/Columbia Hospital in New Port Richey.
McPherson was dead on arrival.

"In late November 1992, Northwest Hospital in Tucson reported to the
Arizona Board of Medical Examiners suspicions that Johnson-Fitzgerald
might have been using a narcotic painkiller called fentanyl. Nurses
reported that she took frequent trips to the bathroom and kept syringes in
her pockets. She also was alleged to have removed a narcotic painkiller
called Sufenta from the operating suite. Another hospital reported vague
but similar allegations.

"Johnson-Fitzgerald had been taking injections of Dalgan, a brand name of
a narcotic painkiller, for chronic pain associated with foot and back
problems. In her medical practice, she worked in the operating room and
also treated chronic pain patients.

"She agreed to enter into a voluntary agreement that restricted her
license. The restrictions included not practicing clinical medicine,
surrendering her access to controlled substances and submitting to random
drug tests. In October, however, staff reported to the board that
Johnson- Fitzgerald objected to some of the wording in the agreement and
therefore didn't sign it. She also had refused to provide a urine sample.
Records indicate she had lied to the board when she said she had not had
psychiatric treatment."

John Ritson and "Roland" provided descriptions of an unannounced picket at
the Scientology org in London this week.

"Armed with posters about the Vic, Collins and McPherson deaths, leaflets,
a megaphone, the Xemu song book and a lovable toy dog with water wings,
they made fools of Scientology by the simple expedient of turning up a
week earlier than expected. The low-level clams at the 'org' went into
headless chicken mode without Sea Org or OSA to tell them what to do. They
tried complaining to the police (who had been informed in advance) and
were politely informed that the picketers were completely within their
rights. They alternated between hiding in the org and distributing
standard recruiting leaflets. The passers-by were even more supportive
than on past occasions, perhaps because of increased media coverage of
Scientology in the recent past.

"[B]y the time the picket ended at 4:00 they had finally produced three
placards, with baffling messages such as 'Fight Crime, Not Religion'
(Funny, that's precisely why WE were there), which they leaned against the
window of the org, before eventually grasping that the idea of placards is
to hold them up."

"I don't like to shove the leaflets into people's hands if they don't
really want them so I just held the leaflets out. People actually came up
and took them out of my hand! They were congratulating me on doing such a
good job. I made it very clear that I was 'Picketing against the
cult/church of Scientology - Stop Scientology ruining lives' by shouting
it loudly. I had about 260 leaflets. All of them were gratefully received.

"Dave Bird was making a fine old racket with his megaphone chanting 'Woof,
woof, glug, glug. Who drowned the judges dog?' and singing his Lisa
McPherson song. He had Duke the dog with him - a dog on wheels wearing
water-wings."